AME RI CAN CONSE RVAT I SM: T HE E VOL VI NG ROL E OF - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

AME RI CAN CONSE RVAT I SM: T HE E VOL VI NG ROL E OF SOCI AL I SSUE S I N AME RI CAN POL I T I CS

Justin Ro sta d Be midji Sta te Unive rsity

RE SE ARCH T OPI C

 My re se a rc h q ue stio n: Are c o nse rva tive s to da y a s

c o nc e rne d with so c ia l issue s a s the y we re ro ug hly 35 ye a rs a g o ?

 Amo ng the c o nse rva tive b a se , the Re lig io us Rig ht is the

mo st pro mine nt g ro up in o ppo sitio n to the se so c ia l issue s

L I T E RAT URE RE VI E W

 Re lig io n and Po litic s in the Unite d State s b y

K e nne th D. Wa ld a nd Alliso n Ca lho un- Bro wn (2014)



Use d fo r re se a rc h in Ame ric a n c o nse rva tism a nd re lig io sity



E xte nsive re se a rc h upd a te d re g ula rly



“Wo rk Ha rd , T rust in Go d , Vo te Re pub lic a n.” – On a b a nne r in rura l F lo rida , me ntio ne d in Pre fa c e

 "Je rry F

a lwe ll, the Rise o f the Mo ra l Ma jo rity, a nd the 1980 E le c tio n." Je rry F alwe ll, the Rise

• f the Mo ral Majo rity, and the 1980 E

le c tio n b y Do ug Ba nwa rt



Use d to g a the r mo st o f the info rma tio n a b o ut Je rry F a lwe ll a nd the influe nc e o f Mo ra l Ma jo rity

 Ga b rie l, T

• rip. Ma rc h 25, 2015. Unha ppy With

a Mo de ra te Je b Bush, Co nse rva tive s Aim to Unite Be hind a n Alte rna tive . T he Ne w Yo rk T ime s.



Use d to g a the r info o n so c ia l c o nse rva tive s a nd the ir future po litic a l a g e nd a s

L I T E RAT URE RE VI E W-POL I T I CAL MOBI L I ZAT I ON

 T

hre e fa c to rs fo r po litic a l mo b iliza tio n:

 Mo tiva tio n  Me a ns  Oppo rtunity

 Use d b y a ny g ro up o f a c tivists  F

• r insta nc e , the Re lig io us Rig ht use s te le visio n,

c hurc he s (lo c a l o r “me g a ”), c o nve ntio ns, a nd po litic a l a c tivity o f re lig io us po litic ia ns/ c le rg yme n to dra w pe o ple to g e the r.

(Wa ld a nd Ca lho un-Bro wn)

L I T E RAT URE RE VI E W-ANAL YZI NG T HE HI ST ORY OF CONSE RVAT I SM I N T HE US

 Ha s ha d g re a t influe nc e in US po litic s  Ca n b e tra c e d b a c k to the b e g inning s o f the

Unite d Sta te s

 Just a s a ny o the r po litic a l ide o lo g y, it g o e s

thro ug h va rying “pha se s” o f le a de rs a nd c o nc e rning issue s

 Co nc e rning issue s e vo lve a nd shift thro ug h time

(Wa ld a nd Ca lho un Bro wn, Ba nwa rt 2013)

L I T E RAT URE RE VI E W-RI GHT WI NG CHRI ST I ANI T Y

 Co nside re d a ma ss mo ve me nt in the US  Ma ke s up a la rg e pa rt o f the c o nse rva tive b a se  F

ue le d b y e va ng e lic a l institutio ns

 Suc c e ssful in ha rne ssing vo te s fro m white

e va ng e lic a l me n a nd wo me n

 De a l ma inly with so c ia l issue s.

(Wa ld a nd Ca lho un Bro wn)

L I T E RAT URE RE VI E W-JE RRY F AL WE L L AND T HE MORAL MAJORI T Y

 Bo rn in L

ync hb urg , Virg inia

 An e lite po litic a l le a de r, pa sto r, a nd fa mo us

te le va ng e list.

 His missio n- ke e p re lig io n a nd po litic s unde r the

sa me ro o f

 He lpe d e sta b lish the Mo ra l Ma jo rity

 Po litic a l a c tio n g ro up ma de up o f e va ng e lic a l

Christia ns

 Aim wa s to inc re a se Christia n influe nc e in Ame ric a n

po litic s

 E

sta b lishe d a ne two rk o f c hurc he s a sso c ia te d with the Ba ptist Bib le F e llo wship

 Mo ra l Ma jo rity suppo rte d Ro na ld Re a g a n to vic to ry

in the 1980 pre side ntia l e le c tio n

(Ba nwa rt 2013)

“We ’ re fig hting a ho ly war.” - Je rry F a lwe ll to his c o ng re g a tio n in 1980 “Whe n a g ro up o f nine idio ts c an pass a ruling do wn that it is ille g al to re ad the Bib le in o ur pub lic sc ho o ls, the y ne e d to b e c alle d ‘ I dio ts’ ” - Je rry F a lwe ll’ s o pinio n

• n the Supre me Co urt’ s ruling o f sc ho o l

pra ye r is unc o nstitutio na l

(Ba nwa rt 2013)

CONSE RVAT I SM AND T HE RE L I GI OUS RI GHT T ODAY

 L

e a de rs o f the na tio n’ s Christia n rig ht/ e va ng e lic a ls do no t b e lie ve in Je b Bush, fo rme r g o ve rno r o f F lo rida

 ha ve mo unte d a n a mb itio us e ffo rt to suppo rt a sing le

so c ia l-c o nse rva tive c o nte nde r b e fo re the first prima ry vo te s

 fe e l Re pub lic a ns lo st c o ntro l o f the White Ho use

b e c a use the y a re to o mo de ra te , do n’ t e xc ite the b a se e no ug h

 One le a de r is T

• ny Pe rkins, Pre side nt o f the F

a mily Re se a rc h Co unc il

 A lo b b ying g ro up tha t o ppo se s a b o rtio n a nd sa me -

se x ma rria g e rig hts

 Ma ny so c ia l c o nse rva tive s a re lo o king to wa rds T

e d Cruz to po ssib ly ra lly the c o nse rva tive b a se in o rde r to g a in pre side nc y

(Ga b rie l, T

• rip. Ma rc h 25, 2015)

DAT A ANAL YSI S

 T

e ste d c o nse rva tive s b a se d o n a g e with sa me - se x ma rria g e , a b o rtio n rig hts, le g a liza tio n o f ma rijua na , g un o wne rship rig hts, a nd divo rc e re stric tio ns.

 T

he de pe nde nt va ria b le s ha ve b e e n c ho se n b e c a use the y a re five e xa mple s o f so c ia l issue s tha t ha ve b e e n re le va nt o f the la st 35 ye a rs.

 Da ta Se t Use d- Ge ne ra l So c ia l Surve y 2012 fro m

the Na tio na l Opinio n Re se a rc h Ce nte r (NORC) a t the Unive rsity o f Chic a g o

DAT A ANAL YSI S-HYPOT HE SI S

Hypo the sis: Amo ng c o nse rva tive s, yo ung e r a g e g ro ups will b e mo re lib e ra l o n so c ia l issue s tha n

• lde r a g e g ro ups.

Chi-Sq ua re : 29.819 (Yo ung e r) 34.095 (Olde r) = 53.592 (T

• ta l)
• Asymp. Sig .: .000

(Yo ung e r) .000 (Olde r) Cra me r’ s V: .275 (Yo ung e r) .285 (Olde r) = .256 (T

• ta l)

Appro x. Sig : .000 (Yo ung e r) .000 (Olde r)

Chi-Sq ua re : 14.713 (Yo ung e r) 3.198 (Olde r) = 16.555 (T

• ta l)
• Asymp. Sig .: .001 (Yo ung e r) .202 (Olde r) = .000 (T
• ta l)

Cra me r’ s V: .273 (Yo ung e r) .126 (Olde r) = .204 (T

• ta l)

Appro x. Sig .: .001 (Yo ung e r) .202 (Olde r) = .000 (T

• ta l)

Chi-Sq ua re : 1.435 (Yo ung e r) 7.850 (Olde r) = 6.481 (T

• ta l)
• Asymp. Sig .: .488 (Yo ung e r) .020 (Olde r) = .039 (T
• ta l)

Cra me r’ s V: .087 (Yo ung e r) .188 (Olde r) = .126 (T

• ta l)

Appro x. Sig .: .488 (Yo ung e r) .020 (Olde r) = .039 (T

• ta l)

CONCL USI ON

As my da ta sho ws, yo ung e r c o nse rva tive s a re still c o nc e rne d with so c ia l issue s to da y a s the y ma y ha ve b e e n 35 ye a rs a g o . Simila r re sults a re a lso pre se nt in the o the r ta b le s. I n the future , I pla n to run mo re te sts with the se va ria b le s.